Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following Wednesday's morning training camp practice at SUNY Cortland:
I just found out, Brandon Moore is retiring. A couple thoughts on him: What a tremendous player, obviously, that jumps out at me. As a coach coming in there and I'm like "OK, let's see who we have ... we've got Alan Faneca at one guard and then Brandon Moore." I remembered Brandon, going against him, I knew he was big, strong and all of that stuff. But what a tremendous player. Absolutely a tremendous player. A great person. He was just a great teammate. A guy that was important to me and really being a first-time NFL head coach, I leaned on him some. He was absolutely tremendous. I guess you can't play this game forever. But I certainly appreciate his time he had with us for sure.
**
On why Kyle Wilson practiced a lot today with the first-team defense…**
Dee [Milliner] came in he had a little tightness in his leg. They ran a deep ball on him and I wanted to make sure I got him because I could see he had a little something there. I don't know if it'll be a big deal. I kind of doubt it. I just wasn't wanting him to pull something if he felt tight there. So we pulled him out of there.
On if Dee Milliner's tightness was a hamstring injury…
No, I think it's in the lower part of his leg. I think he'll be OK, though, calf area.
On if there is something about his defense that allows him to play players at safety that don't look like your traditional safeties…
I think the number one thing is you take a good football player and you put him out there. The thing you mentioned, Jim Leonhard, Rod Woodson was a converted corner to safety. Shoot, we had Deion Sanders play there. When we ran out of everything, it was like, "Prime, do you mind playing free safety?" We had Adalius Thomas, who's just the opposite. The main thing is you get a guy who's got instincts, smarts, has awareness, you can plug him in.
Certainly when I say that, [Kyle Wilson]'s a nickel, but he can also do some other things. Because he does have such a great grasp of our system. Now that's not saying that, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Antonio Allen are doing a good job also. We'll use everybody. In today's game, even here's an example. If this happened in a game, a guy's tight, whatever it is, he comes out, you're plugging guys in. You'd better have some depth at that position, and we certainly do.
On what you can learn about a quarterback when he is actually getting hit in a game vs. in practice…
I think you learn a lot. Now obviously in college they get hit, too, but they're going to get hit in this league there's no question about it, so we'll see how they react. That's something I've said that we really haven't seen yet because they know they're in a red jersey, you're not hitting them. So those guys will be hit this week.
On what he has seen from Jeremy Kerley this training camp and what his expectation are for him this season…
Obviously he played really well for us last year, arguably might have had the best year of all those guys. The thing that I've been really impressed with is his punt returning, and not just that's part of the game that, what's that have to do with a receiver? Well, you'd better catch a ball back there. We had a couple drops last year, so that's something that clearly he's worked on and done a tremendous job for us so I've really been impressed with that, his commitment, he has not dropped anything, he hasn't come close so that's been impressive to me. Obviously his route running, all that type of stuff, and that's a little football player right there now. I mean, whether he's playing, running the option, whether he's running an option route, all those types of thing this young man can do, so I think he's had a great training camp.
On how much he views what he has seen in the past with Mark Sanchez in regard to the QB competition…
It's interesting. Now first off I didn't say they have to move away from the past. Oh do we have to do that? No. That was not a quote. Might have been a suggestion but was not a quote from me [joking]. But what that is, it's interesting that you bring it up but I think, you're in a different system, we'll see how he is in this system, how things work out in this system. So I am in there with an open mind. Sure I know what's happened in the past, but if you really are focused in the past, am I supposed to go back one season or how far am I supposed to go back. So to me I'd rather focus on the present and what's in front of us to do the evaluating.
On if he can learn as much about Sanchez during the preseason as Smith…
Again, we're definitely see. We're running the same system. So I think it will be equal. It should be. We'll see how it shakes out.
On being able to forget the past, but still remembering Sanchez's past success…
Yeah, but I know all about the turnovers. I know about the goods and the bads. There's been great moments, there's been bad moments. We'll start right now. Somebody has to take the first snap, and to me, it is going to be a fair competition, a fair and open competition. But we're not going to put both quarterbacks out there, so we're going to put one out there. And really, Mark has had a good camp. He's had a good training camp, as has Geno. But being the incumbent, things like that, sure. I don't think anyone would have been surprised that Mark would be the first quarterback in the first preseason game.
On if Smith will start a preseason game…
Again, we'll let that play out. We'll just take it one step at a time and we'll let that play out. But he'll certainly get opportunities with the one offense.
On Chris Ivory saying he will be able to practice full next week…
He knows more about it than I do. I haven't talked to [head athletic trainer] John Mellody today. But that's good.
On if Mike Goodson has been fined for not reporting…
Again, I'm not going to discuss Mike's situation. We're aware of it, but we're not going to discuss his situation.
On if they have followed NFL policy with Goodson…
I'm following our policy that we're not going to discuss it.
On Vidal Hazelton…
Not discussing him either, I'm just kidding. Unfortunately this young man, I'll tell you what, he was really pushing to make this team, he really was, and it's unfortunate he's had a bad injury. To the extent of it, I'm not sure if we know one hundred percent what the extent of it is, but it's a severe injury.
On who he does not expect to play due to injury…
I'll tell you what we could do, if this would be alright. I would rather do this. I don't want to give you an incomplete list and I don't want to give you a, well I think he's healthy enough to go. So throw a name out.
On if Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards will play…
I think they will, but I don't know that to be a hundred percent accurate, but I believe both will.
On if Brian Winters will play…
Again, it might be as early as tonight that we will give you guys a list. Not that I'm trying to hold anything from anybody, or it's secretive — it's a preseason game. Even if it's a regular season game, you know how I feel about that. I think we;; have a much better understanding of it. I wasn't even on the offensive side today we kind of had a two field deal where they were kind of getting ready a little bit for Detroit showing their looks and things. Which we've never really done in the past, but we're trying to do that. SO I really wasn't even over on the offensive side. You guys would know more about it then I would.
On why Joe McKnight wasn't at practice today…
Again, with Joe, he's got a head injury and all that type of stuff so I don't know if he's getting tested or what but I know he wasn't able to practice today. I knew that was going to happen, but where specifically he's at, I'm not sure.
On if he has a concussion…
Guys I don't want to say he has a concussion. That information has not been relayed to me. So it's a head injury guys, it's a head injury. It could be a headache, I don't know.
On if the head coach should be more up-to-date on injuries…
I'm going to lean on our doctors and trainers for that information. If I knew it was a concussion, have I always said that it was a concussion in the past? If I don't know, the man's out, I don't know if that means he's had migraines, he's had what, I don't know. But when Mellody tells me, "Hey, Joe is going to be cleared to practice," then that's fine. If he tells me he has a concussion, I'll tell you he has a concussion.
On if Mellody has given him any updates on McKnight's symptoms…
No. He's still out with a head injury.
On if that is all Mellody told him about McKnight…
Well, I think he might have said something else about him, but no, that's about it. Guys, I'm not Bill Belichick, "He's got a body part and something's wrong with it." I'm not trying to say he doesn't [have a concussion]. If I don't know he's got a concussion for sure, I don't want to tell you he's got a concussion and that's not the case.
On if he is saying that Mellody has not given him an update on McKnight's symptoms…
It's not that I've asked specifically about a concussion thing. I've not asked that question. My thing is I know he's being treated well because we have the best in the business. I know he's being taken care of.
On if he would want to know if McKnight had an injury to be able to manage him…
Well, I'm going to know how to manage him as a player because I'm going to lean on the doctors and the trainers and when they say he's cleared to practice, he will practice. If they said, a hypothetical, "He's got a concussion, you're not practicing him," I understand I'm not practicing. If they say, "He has a head injury and he's not practicing," I'm not practicing him, OK? I may have slept in the dorms, but I'm not a doctor so I'm not going to tell you that he's got a concussion [joking]. You know what, maybe I should check on that. Maybe I should check. I know he's injured because certainly it seems like a deal. I'm not going to ever practice a player that is not cleared to practice ever. No matter if it's a head injury or whatever.
On Troy Davis' hit in practice and if it is hard to get players to follow contact rules…
We want them to. He's an aggressive guy and things like that. I think he's just a young man like a lot of guys are, trying to make an impact, make a name for himself and things like that. I can't wait, I'm really excited to see him play on Friday because he is a very physical, aggressive player and that's great to see.
The big message is just to make sure we're taking care of each other, though. If it's a live scrimmage situation, that's great. If it's not, we've got to practice like a pro. And not just picking on Troy, a young player, sometimes you say it and you say it but they need to understand that no, no, it's unacceptable. If we say the drill's going to be a certain way, then that's the way the drill's going to be. And there is something because in this league, you're padded practicing about once a week so even though we had pads today, but he knew without pads there's a certain tempo that you practice with. You have 16 regular season games and you don't want to lose people on the practice field.
On where Greg McElroy fits into the quarterback situation…
He's competing for the No. 3 job right now with [Matt] Simms. So he's not competing for the starting job. But that's where I see the main competition right now for Greg is competing for the third job.
